SENATE ABANDONS AUTO BAILOUT BID AFTER G.O.P. BALKS

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN; Bill Vlasic contributed reporting from Detroit and Carl Hulse from Washington.

Published: December 12, 2008

The Senate on Thursday night abandoned efforts to fashion a government rescue of the American automobile industry, as Senate Republicans refused to support a bill endorsed by the White House and Congressional Democrats.

The failure to reach agreement on Capitol Hill raised a specter of financial collapse for General Motors and Chrysler, which say they may not be able to survive through this month.

After Senate Republicans balked at supporting a $14 billion auto rescue plan approved by the House on Wednesday, negotiators worked late into Thursday evening to broker a deal, but deadlocked over Republican demands for steep cuts in pay and benefits by the United Automobile Workers union in 2009.

The failure in Congress to provide a financial lifeline for G.M. and Chrysler was a bruising defeat for President Bush in the waning weeks of his term, and also for President-elect Barack Obama, who earlier on Thursday urged Congress to act to avoid a further loss of jobs in an already deeply debilitated economy.

''It's over with,'' the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said on the Senate floor, after it was clear that a deal could not be reached. ''I dread looking at Wall Street tomorrow. It's not going to be a pleasant sight.''

Mr. Reid added: ''This is going to be a very, very bad Christmas for a lot of people as a result of what takes place here tonight.''

The Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said: ''We have had before us this whole question of the viability of the American automobile manufacturers. None of us want to see them go down, but very few of us had anything to do with the dilemma that they have created for themselves.''

Mr. McConnell added: ''The administration negotiated in good faith with the Democratic majority a proposal that was simply unacceptable to the vast majority of our side because we thought it frankly wouldn't work.''

Moments later, the Senate failed to win the 60 votes need to bring up the auto rescue plan for consideration. The Senate voted 52 to 35 with 10 Republicans joining 40 Democrats and 2 independents in favor. The White House issued said it would consider alternatives but offered no assurances.

''It's disappointing that Congress failed to act tonight,'' Tony Fratto, the deputy press secretary, said. ''We think the legislation we negotiated provided an opportunity to use funds already appropriated for automakers, and presented the best chance to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy while ensuring taxpayer funds only go to firms whose stakeholders were prepared to make difficult decisions to become viable. We will evaluate our options in light of the breakdown in Congress.''

Immediately after the vote, the administration was already coming under pressure to act on its own to prop up G.M. and Chrysler, an idea that administration officials have resisted for weeks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers called on the administration to use the Treasury's bigger financial system stabilization fund to but there may not be enough money left to do so. About $15 billion remains of the initial $350 billion disbursed by Congress and Treasury officials have said that money is needed as a backstop for existing programs.

Democrats also immediately sought to blame Republicans for the failure to aid Detroit, while a number of Republicans quickly blamed the union. But on all sides the usual zest for political jousting seemed absent given the grim economic outlook.

''Senate Republicans' refusal to support the bipartisan legislation passed by the House and negotiated in good faith with the White House, the Senate and the automakers is irresponsible, especially at a time of economic hardship,'' Ms. Pelosi said in a statement.

She added: ''The consequences of the Senate Republican' failure to act could be devastating to our economy, detrimental to workers, and destructive to the American automobile industry unless the President immediately directs Secretary Paulson to explore other short-term financial assistance options. Senator George V. Voinovich, Republican of Ohio, and a supporter of the auto rescue efforts, said: ''I think it might be time for the president to step in.''

So far, the Federal Reserve also has shown no willingness to step in to aid the auto industry, but Democrats have argued that it has the authority to do so and some said the central bank may have no choice but to prevent the automakers from bankruptcy proceedings that could have ruinous ripple effects.

G.M. and Chrysler issued statements expressing disappointment. G.M. said: We will assess all of our options to continue our restructuring and to obtain the means to weather the current economic crisis.'' Chrysler said it would: ''continue to pursue a workable solution to help ensure the future viability of the company.''

Earlier in the day, G.M. confirmed that it had legal advisors -- including Harvey R. Miller of the firm Weil Gotshal & Manges --to consider a possible bankruptcy, which the company until now has said would be cataclysmic not just for G.M. but for Chrysler and Ford as well. The rescue plan approved by the House on Wednesday by a vote of 237 to 170 would have extended $14 billion in loans to the troubled automakers and required them to submit to broad government oversight directed by a car czar to be named by Mr. Bush.